Cunault Abbey Church

Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, France

The Abbey of Cunault was founded in 847 by monks of Noirmoutiers (an island near Nantes) who had fled the Norman invasions. In 862 further incursions forced the Benedictine monks to flee to Tournus in Burgundy where they hid the relics of their patron Saint-Philibert. They returned during the 11th century and built a prosperous priory that remained under the control of Tournus.

The impressive Romanesque belfry, enlarged during the 15th century with a stone spire, is all that remains of the church built during the 11th century. The interior of the church is remarkable for the size and height of its 223 richly decorated capitals.

One of the lateral chapels contains the shrine of Saint-Maxenceul that was carved and painted during the 13th century. The four bells of the tower come from the cathedral of Constantine in Algeria.

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Address

Place Victor Dialand 3, Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, France
See all sites in Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault

Details

Founded: 847
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Frankish kingdoms (France)

More Information

www.travelfranceonline.com

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

de LAMOTTE Yann (49 days ago)
Cette prieurale est tout simplement magnifique, avec une architecture grandiose, je suis toujours autant stupéfait par la magnificence de ce lieu. De plus la messe dominicale est en Grégorien pour ceux qui veulent un argument supplémentaire !
Arnaud Guillon (5 months ago)
Belle petite place. Prudence en période de chasse.
Patricia Mclaughlin (8 months ago)
Words or pictures could never capture the beauty of this church, the serenity experienced was incredible. Well worth a visit if passing by.
Florence Manasse (9 months ago)
Superbe bâtiment
Alan Pembshaw (2 years ago)
beautiful abbey church. Seldom visited by tourists but well worth it.
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Lübeck Cathedral

Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick-built Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of the Lübeck UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1173 Henry the Lion founded the cathedral to serve the Diocese of Lübeck, after the transfer in 1160 of the bishop's seat from Oldenburg in Holstein under bishop Gerold. The then Romanesque cathedral was completed around 1230, but between 1266 and 1335 it was converted into a Gothic-style building with side-aisles raised to the same height as the main aisle.

On the night of Palm Sunday (28–29 March) 1942 a Royal Air Force bombing raid destroyed a fifth of the town centre. Several bombs fell in the area around the church, causing the eastern vault of the quire to collapse and destroying the altar which dated from 1696. A fire from the neighbouring cathedral museum spread to the truss of the cathedral, and around noon on Palm Sunday the towers collapsed. An Arp Schnitger organ was lost in the flames. Nevertheless, a relatively large portion of the internal fittings was saved, including the cross and almost all of the medieval polyptychs. In 1946 a further collapse, of the gable of the north transept, destroyed the vestibule almost completely.

Reconstruction of the cathedral took several decades, as greater priority was given to the rebuilding of the Marienkirche. Work was completed only in 1982.

The cathedral is unique in that at 105 m, it is shorter than the tallest church in the city. This is the consequence of a power struggle between the church and the guilds.

The 17 m crucifix is the work of the Lübeck artist Bernt Notke. It was commissioned by the bishop of Lübeck, Albert II. Krummendiek, and erected in 1477. The carvings which decorate the rood screen are also by Notke.

Since the war, the famous altar of Hans Memling has been in the medieval collection of the St. Annen Museum, but notable polyptychs remain in the cathedral.

In the funeral chapels of the southern aisle are Baroque-era memorials by the Flemish sculptor Thomas Quellinus.

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